U.S. patent application number 16/216534 was filed with the patent office on 2019-04-11 for technology for generating unique codes associated with pickup of prescription medications by individuals.
The applicant listed for this patent is WALGREEN CO.. Invention is credited to Mohsin Ovais Ansari, Igor Gershfang, Nimesh S. Jhaveri, Adam Robert Snopek, Fauzia Somani.
Application Number | 20190108901 16/216534 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 62778678 |
Filed Date | 2019-04-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20190108901 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Gershfang; Igor ; et
al. |
April 11, 2019 |
TECHNOLOGY FOR GENERATING UNIQUE CODES ASSOCIATED WITH PICKUP OF
PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS BY INDIVIDUALS
Abstract
Systems and methods may be provided that may enable an
individual (e.g., a patient or a representative thereof) to
retrieve one or more prescription products (e.g., product refills)
from a self-service retrieval location such as a counter,
drive-thru, drop box, or kiosk. The individual may identify one or
more prescription products and a retrieval location. A unique
machine-readable code may be generated, the code redeemable for the
one or more prescription products at the point of retrieval. The
unique machine-readable code may be provided to the individual,
along with an anticipated time of preparedness of the one or more
prescription products for retrieval.
Inventors: |
Gershfang; Igor; (Chicago,
IL) ; Jhaveri; Nimesh S.; (Kildeer, IL) ;
Ansari; Mohsin Ovais; (Highland Park, IL) ; Somani;
Fauzia; (Glencoe, IL) ; Snopek; Adam Robert;
(Chicago, IL) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
WALGREEN CO. |
Deerfield |
IL |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
62778678 |
Appl. No.: |
16/216534 |
Filed: |
December 11, 2018 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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16002115 |
Jun 7, 2018 |
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16216534 |
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62521352 |
Jun 16, 2017 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G16H 40/67 20180101;
G16H 20/13 20180101; G06K 7/1417 20130101; G16H 80/00 20180101 |
International
Class: |
G16H 20/13 20060101
G16H020/13; G06K 7/14 20060101 G06K007/14; G16H 80/00 20060101
G16H080/00 |
Claims
1. A computer-implemented method for providing a unique
machine-readable code associated with retrieval of one or more
prescription products, the method comprising: receiving, via one or
more processors, a first indication of one or more prescription
products to be provided to an individual; receiving, via the one or
more processors, a second indication a point of retrieval of the
one or more prescription products; generating, via the one or more
processors, a unique machine-readable code associated with
retrieval of the one or more prescription products; providing, via
the one or more processors and via an application executing at a
computing device associated with the individual, (i) the unique
machine-readable code, and (ii) an anticipated time of preparedness
of the one or more prescription products for retrieval at the point
of retrieval.
2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the unique
machine-readable code comprises a two-dimensional matrix
barcode.
3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the unique
machine-readable code further comprises an alphanumeric code.
4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the
individual is a patient having a medical prescription corresponding
to at least one of the one or more prescription products.
5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the
computing device associated with the individual is a mobile
computing device associated with the individual, and wherein the
application is a mobile application executing at the mobile
computing device.
6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the first
indication and the second indication are received via the mobile
computing device associated with the individual.
7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising
receiving, via the one or more processors, payment information
associated with the one or more prescription products.
8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the
providing of the unique machine readable code is subsequent to the
receiving of the payment information.
9. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein receiving
the payment information comprises receiving at least a portion of
the payment information via a mobile computing device associated
with the individual.
10. A computing system comprising: one or more processors; and one
or more memories storing non-transitory computer-executable
instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors,
cause the computing system to: receive a first indication of one or
more prescription products to be provided to an individual; receive
a second indication a point of retrieval of the one or more
prescription products; generate a unique machine-readable code
associated with retrieval of the one or more prescription products;
provide, via an application executing at a computing device
associated with the individual, (i) the unique machine-readable
code, and (ii) an anticipated time of preparedness of the one or
more prescription products for retrieval at the point of
retrieval.
11. The computing system of claim 10, wherein the unique
machine-readable code comprises a two-dimensional matrix
barcode.
12. The computing system of claim 11, wherein the unique
machine-readable code further comprises an alphanumeric code.
13. The computing system of claim 10, wherein the individual is a
patient having a medical prescription corresponding to at least one
of the one or more prescription products.
14. The computing system of claim 10, wherein the computing device
associated with the individual is a mobile computing device
associated with the individual, and wherein the application is a
mobile application executing at the mobile computing device.
15. The computing system of claim 14, wherein the computing system
is configured to receive the first indication and the second
indication via the mobile computing device associated with the
individual.
16. The computing system of claim 10, wherein the non-transitory
computer executable instructions, when executed via the one or more
processors, further cause the computing system to receive payment
information associated with the one or more prescription
products.
17. The computing system of claim 16, wherein the non-transitory
computer-executable instructions, when executed via the one or more
processors, cause the computing system to provide the unique
machine-readable code subsequent to the receiving of the payment
information.
18. The computing system of claim 16, wherein the computing system
is configured to receive at least a portion of the payment
information via a mobile computing device associated with the
individual.
19. One or more computer-readable media storing non-transitory
computer-executable instructions that, when executed via one or
more computer processors, cause the one or more processors to:
receive a first indication of one or more prescription products to
be provided to an individual; receive a second indication a point
of retrieval of the one or more prescription products; generate a
unique machine-readable code associated with retrieval of the one
or more prescription products; provide, via an application
executing at a computing device associated with the individual, (i)
the unique machine-readable code, and (ii) an anticipated time of
preparedness of the one or more prescription products for retrieval
at the point of retrieval.
20. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 19, wherein
the unique machine-readable code comprises a two-dimensional matrix
barcode.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation application of U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 16/002,115, which was filed Jun. 7,
2018, and entitled "TECHNOLOGY FOR GENERATING UNIQUE CODES
ASSOCIATED WITH PICKUP OF PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS BY INDIVIDUALS,"
and which claims priority to and the benefit of the filing date of
U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/521,532, which was filed
Jun. 16, 2017, and entitled "TECHNOLOGY FOR GENERATING UNIQUE CODES
ASSOCIATED WITH PICKUP OF PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS BY INDIVIDUALS."
The present application claims priority from each of the
above-reference applications, and the disclosures of all
above-referenced applications are hereby expressly incorporated
herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0002] This application relates generally relates to self-service
prescription processing, and more particularly, to technology that
may enable generation of a unique machine-readable code redeemable
to obtain prescription products from a self-service location.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Generally, an individual (e.g., a patient, or a parent or
caregiver of the patient), receiving a medical prescription or a
refill thereof for a prescription product (e.g., a medication or a
medical device) may be required to complete a multitude of tasks
prior to receipt of the prescription product. For example,
acquiring the prescription product may require the patient to
verify the patient's identity or other personal information,
consult a physician and or pharmacist, pay for the prescription
product, manually drop off a prescription refill order at a
pharmacy counter, retrieve the prescription refill at the pharmacy
counter at a later time, acknowledge receipt, and/or other tasks.
In practice, these tasks may place a significant burden on the
patient and cause undue or even dangerous delay in receipt of the
prescription product.
SUMMARY
[0004] A mobile and/or native desktop application for prescription
processing may be provided to a patient and/or to a representative
of the patient. The application may generally enable the patient or
representative to independently complete vital prescription
processing tasks. Upon completion, the application may issue a
unique machine-readable code (a "prescription pass") associated
with the medical prescription, wherein the code is redeemable to
retrieve, at a retrieval location, one or more prescription
products associated with the medical prescription.
[0005] In one embodiment, a computer-implemented method may be
provided for providing a unique machine-readable code associated
with retrieval of one or more prescription products. The method may
include (1) receiving, via one or more processors, a first
indication of one or more prescription products to be provided to
an individual; (2) receiving, via the one or more processors, a
second indication a point of retrieval of the one or more
prescription products; (3) generating, via the one or more
processors, a unique machine-readable code associated with
retrieval of the one or more prescription products; and/or (4)
providing, via the one or more processors and via an application
executing at a computing device associated with the individual, (i)
the unique machine-readable code, and (ii) an anticipated time of
preparedness of the one or more prescription products for retrieval
at the point of retrieval. The method may include additional,
fewer, or alternate actions, included those described herein.
[0006] In another embodiment, a computing system may be provided.
The computing system may include (1) one or more processors, and
(2) one or more memories storing non-transitory computer-executable
instructions that, when executed via the one or more processors,
cause the one or more processors to: (i) receive a first indication
of one or more prescription products to be provided to an
individual; (ii) receive a second indication a point of retrieval
of the one or more prescription products; (iii) generate a unique
machine-readable code associated with retrieval of the one or more
prescription products; and/or (iv) provide, via an application
executing at a computing device associated with the individual, (a)
the unique machine-readable code, and (b) an anticipated time of
preparedness of the one or more prescription products for retrieval
at the point of retrieval. The system may include additional,
fewer, or alternate components and/or actions, including those
described herein.
[0007] In yet another embodiment, one or more computer-readable
media may be provided. The one or more computer-readable media may
store non-transitory executable instructions that, when executed
via one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
(1) receive a first indication of one or more prescription products
to be provided to an individual; (2) receive a second indication a
point of retrieval of the one or more prescription products; (3)
generate a unique machine-readable code associated with retrieval
of the one or more prescription products; and/or (4) provide, via
an application executing at a computing device associated with the
individual, (i) the unique machine-readable code, and (ii) an
anticipated time of preparedness of the one or more prescription
products for retrieval at the point of retrieval. The one or more
computer-readable media may include additional, fewer, or alternate
instructions, including those described herein.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 depicts an overview of components and entities
associated with the systems and methods described herein, in
accordance with some embodiments;
[0009] FIG. 2 depicts an enhanced view of a computing device
depicted previously in FIG. 1, in accordance with some
embodiments;
[0010] FIG. 3 depicts an example signal diagram associated with
acquiring a prescription pass application.
[0011] FIG. 4 depicts an example signal diagram associated with
generating a unique machine-readable code redeemable to retrieve
one or more prescription products, in accordance with some
embodiments;
[0012] FIG. 5 depicts an example signal diagram associated with
issuing one or more prescription products, in accordance with some
embodiments;
[0013] FIG. 6 depicts an example signal diagram associated with
"drive-thru" retrieval of one or more prescription products, in
accordance with some embodiments;
[0014] FIG. 7 depicts an example computer-implemented method for
generating a unique machine-readable code redeemable to retrieve
one or more prescription products;
[0015] FIG. 8 depicts an example computer-implemented method for
issuing one or more prescription products; and
[0016] FIG. 9 depicts another example computer-implemented method
for generating a unique machine readable code redeemable to
retrieve one or more prescription products.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0017] The present embodiments may relate, inter alia, to
technology (e.g., a mobile, desktop, or web application) to enable
a user (e.g., a medical patient, or a parent or caregiver thereof)
to retrieve (i.e., "pick up") one or more prescription products.
According to certain aspects, a user may utilize the application to
identify a new prescription or prescription refill and a location
at which the user will retrieve the corresponding one or more
prescription products. Identifying the pharmacy location may
include identifying a particular point of retrieval (e.g., a
pharmacy counter, kiosk, or drop box) within a venue (e.g., a
pharmacy or a hospital) from which the user will retrieve the
prescription product.
[0018] The user may further utilize the technology described herein
to perform one or more tasks that may be necessary to retrieve the
prescription product. For example, in some embodiments, the user
may utilize the technology to provide identification, provide
payment, designate one or more notifications for retrieval, and/or
consult a remotely-located pharmacist by text, audio, and/or video
communication session.
[0019] In any case, upon completion of any necessary steps, the
technology described herein may provide the user with a
"prescription pass" (e.g., a barcode, QR code, audio signal stored
on an electronic device, etc.) that is redeemable to retrieve one
or more prescription products. The user may bring the prescription
pass to the point of retrieval, where scanning the prescription
pass may identify the user, prescription, and/or prescription
product(s) to be retrieved. Upon retrieval of the one or more
prescription products, the user may complete any additional steps
(e.g., receipt acknowledgement, agreement of a privacy notice,
payment, etc.) that may be required to complete the prescription
retrieval process.
[0020] In some embodiments, as will be described herein, the
technology may provide additional features. For example, the
technology may enable a user to provide payment for the one or more
prescription products, and/or utilize an audio-video feature to
connect to a remotely-located pharmacist to receive counseling
related to the medical prescription and/or the one or more
prescription products.
[0021] In some embodiments, the prescription pass may be
transferable. A patient, for example, may transfer a prescription
pass to an electronic device of another person such as a parent,
guardian, or caregiver, such that the other person may retrieve the
one or more prescription products.
[0022] The technology described herein may generally be implemented
via a computer-implemented application, and the application may be
configured to run on a mobile device (e.g., a smartphone), a laptop
computer, a tablet, a desktop computer, etc. Accordingly, the
functions of the technology may, for ease of description, often be
described herein as being performed via an application, in
particular a mobile smartphone application. It should be
appreciated, however, that other implementations (e.g., via a web
browser, via SMS text communication, etc.) may be possible.
[0023] The technology described herein therefore offers numerous
benefits. In particular, systems and methods described herein may
facilitate prescription/refill retrieval by connecting
conventionally disparate steps of the prescription refill retrieval
process through a unified application. Further, the application,
and in particular the prescription pass, may enable self-service
functionality for a user seeking a new prescription or a
prescription refill. Additionally, use of the prescription
technology may enable significantly faster prescription processing
and retrieval, compared to conventional methods.
[0024] Thus, the technology described in this application addresses
challenges that are unique to prescription issuance and management.
Conventionally, a patient retrieving a prescription may be required
to perform disparate tasks in order to obtain a prescription
product. The technology described herein offers the benefits of
increasing the timeliness of prescription delivery, bettering the
ability of a user to track prescription products, and potentially
increasing user confidence in the prescription experience.
[0025] As used herein, a "user" also referred to herein as an
"individual," may refer to a person who uses the technology
described herein to facilitate the retrieval of the prescription
product. Accordingly, the user may be the patient for whom the
prescription was issued. Alternatively, the user may be a parent, a
guardian, or otherwise a caregiver for the person for whom the
prescription was issued, and the user may utilize the technology to
retrieve the prescription product on behalf of the patient for whom
the prescription was issued.
[0026] As used herein, a "prescription" may refer to an instruction
(e.g., a written instruction) given by a physician, authorizing a
patient to be provided one or more prescription products (e.g., a
medication or a medical device). However, in some instances, a
"prescription" may refer to the prescription product itself. A
prescription may include a "prescription refill" which, as used
herein, may refer to an instruction or authorization for the
patient to be provided a partial or complete refill or replacement
of at least one of the one or more prescription products, and
additionally or alternatively may refer to the refilled or replaced
one or more prescription products themselves. While prescription
refills are sometimes described herein, it should be understood
that the technology described herein may additionally or
alternatively be used for retrieval of a newly prescription
product. Furthermore, it is particularly noted that instances of "a
prescription product" described herein, one or more than one
prescription products may be envisioned, unless specifically
indicated otherwise.
[0027] FIG. 1 illustrates an overview of a system 100 of components
configured to facilitate the systems and methods described herein.
It should be appreciated that the system 100 is merely an example
system. Other systems, including those with additional, fewer, or
different components, may be possible in some embodiments.
[0028] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the system 100 may include a user
110 having or interacting with an electronic device 114. The user
110 may be, for example, an individual to whom a medical
prescription is prescribed (also referred to herein as a
"patient"), or a parent, guardian, or other caregiver who is
authorized to provide care (e.g., request and retrieve prescription
products) on behalf of the patient. In any case, the user 110 may
generally utilize the electronic device 114 to perform actions
described herein to facilitate issuance of a prescription pass and
redemption of the prescription pass at a point of retrieval system
140. The actions described herein may be performed via an
application running on the electronic device 114, for example.
[0029] The electronic device 114 may be for example, a smartphone,
a tablet, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a smart wearable
device, or another suitable computing device. While one electronic
device 114 is depicted in FIG. 1, it should be appreciated that, in
some embodiments, the user may utilize a combination of two or more
electronic devices 114 to perform actions described herein.
Components of the electronic device 114 will be discussed in
further detail with regard to FIG. 2.
[0030] The electronic device 114 may be configured to communicate
with other components of the system 100 over one or more networks
180. In embodiments, the network(s) 180 may support any suitable
type of data communication via any suitable standard or technology
(e.g., GSM, CDMA, TDMA, WCDMA, LTE, EDGE, OFDM, GPRS, EV-DO, UWB,
Internet, IEEE 802 including Ethernet, WiMAX, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and
others). Accordingly, the network(s) 180 may include one or more
wired connections, one or more wireless connections, or some
combination thereof. The network(s) 180 may include one or more
public networks, one or more private networks, or some combination
thereof.
[0031] The system 100 may further include one or more backend
processing servers 120. Generally, the processing server(s) 120 may
be configured to communicate with other components of the system
100 over the network(s) 180, to implement backend functionality of
an application for issuing and/or redeeming a prescription pass,
for example. Components of the processing server(s) 120 will be
discussed in further detail with regard to FIG. 2.
[0032] The system 100 may further include a point of retrieval
system 140. Generally, as described herein, a point of retrieval
system 140 may be disposed at a location (a "point of retrieval,"
such as a pharmacy counter, drop box, or kiosk) within a venue
(e.g., a hospital or pharmacy), at which one or more prescription
products may be retrieved. The point of retrieval system 140 may
generally be configured to dispense one or more prescription
products upon scanning and identification of the prescription pass'
unique machine readable code associated with the prescription and
one or more prescription products, as will be described further
herein.
[0033] It should be understood that, in some embodiments, the point
of retrieval system 140 (i.e., the components thereof to be
described herein) may be disposed at a multiplicity of locations
(e.g., a chain of pharmacies, multiple pharmacy counters, kiosks,
and/or drop boxes within a particular pharmacy, etc.). Accordingly,
though retrieval of prescription products at one particular point
of retrieval (and hence, one point of retrieval system 140) may be
discussed herein, it should be understood that many point of
retrieval systems 140 may be possible, in some embodiments, with
each point of retrieval system 140 corresponding to a possible
point of retrieval for prescription products. In such embodiments,
the point of retrieval system 140 may communicate over the
network(s) 180.
[0034] The point of retrieval system 140 may include one or more
memories 142 (e.g., RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, removable memory,
etc.), one or more processors 144. The memory 142 may store an
operating system capable of facilitating the functionalities of
point of retrieval system 140 described herein, as well as one or
more applications (i.e., machine readable instructions). The memory
142 may further store information pertaining to patients,
representatives of patients, medical prescriptions, prescription
products stored at the point of retrieval, payment management,
receipt acknowledgement, etc.
[0035] The point of retrieval system 140 may include one or more
user interfaces 146 which may display and/or receive (via a screen,
audio, etc.) prompts or other information to a user via one or more
input/output (I/O) units 148 (e.g., a touchscreen, audio unit,
keypad, etc.). Generally, the user interface(s) 146 and the I/O
unit(s) 148 may be utilized to perform any tasks that may be
necessary before, at the time of, or after dispensing of
prescription products.
[0036] The point of retrieval system 140 may include one or more
scanning units 150. The one or more scanning units 150 may include,
for example, a barcode reader, a two-dimensional matrix barcode
(e.g., QR code) reader, an alphanumeric code reader, an audio
receiver, and/or another suitable technology capable of detecting
and identifying a unique machine-readable code associated with a
medical prescription for one or more prescription products.
[0037] In some embodiments, the point of retrieval system 140 may
include one or more automatic dispensing units 152 configured to
dispense one or more prescription products upon identification of
the medical prescription and/or the prescription product(s) with
which the prescription is associated. In some embodiments, the
automatic dispensing unit 152 may be omitted, and at least some of
the tasks thereof may be performed by a human operator (e.g., a
patient or pharmacist) of the point of retrieval system 140.
[0038] The point of retrieval system 140 may further include one or
more communication modules 155. In some embodiments, the
communication module(s) 155 may include one or more transceivers
(e.g., WWAN, WLAN, and/or WPAN transceivers, etc.) functioning in
accordance with IEEE standards, 3GPP standards, or other standards.
Generally, the communication module(s) 128 may be configured to
send and/or receive data to facilitate actions of the point of
retrieval system 140 described herein. The point of retrieval
system 140 may, for example, communicate with the server(s) 120 to
send, retrieve, and/or verify information associated with an
individual retrieving prescription products, identify a unique
machine-readable code associated with a medical prescription,
receive payment, etc. In some embodiments, the functions of the
communication module(s) 154 may be integrated in the processor(s)
144.
[0039] The system 100 may further include a central pharmacy
operations (CPO) system 160. Generally, the CPO system 160 may
provide services to retrieval locations and individuals, including
enabling an individual (e.g., a patient or an individual retrieving
prescription product(s) on behalf of the patient to consult a
remotely located pharmacist or other professional prior to, during,
or after retrieval of the prescription product(s). Accordingly, the
CPO system 160 may include one or more computing devices 162
operated by one or more remotely located pharmacists or physicians
164 to communicate with a user 110 of the electronic device 114 via
the network(s) 180. Functions and actions of the CPO system 160
will be described in further detail herein.
[0040] FIG. 2 depicts a detailed view of an electronic device 114
and a processing server 120 communicating via the network(s) 180.
The electronic device 114 may be a device owned and/or used by the
individual 110 to perform the actions described herein. The
electronic device 114 may be, for example, a mobile phone (e.g.,
smartphone), a tablet, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a
smart wearable device, or another suitable electronic device.
Multiple electronic devices 114 may be possible, and may include a
combination of the devices listed above. Further, additional,
fewer, or alternate components of the electronic device 114 may be
possible, in some embodiments.
[0041] In any case, the electronic device 114 may include one or
more memories 202 (e.g., RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, removable memory,
etc.). The one or more memories 202 may include an operating system
204 capable of facilitating the functions of the electronic device
114 described herein. The one or more memories 202 may further
include one or more applications 206, one or more of which may be
executed via one or more processors 208 to perform the functions
described herein (e.g., a "prescription pass application"). The
electronic device 114 may further include one or more communication
modules 210. In some embodiments, the communication module(s) 128
may include one or more transceivers (e.g., WWAN, WLAN, and/or WPAN
transceivers, etc.) functioning in accordance with IEEE standards,
3GPP standards, or other standards. Generally, the communication
module(s) 210 may be configured to communicate via a communicative
connection to the network(s) 180 via one or more external ports
212, to communicate with the processing server(s) 120, the point of
retrieval system 140, and/or the CPO system 160, as described
herein. In some embodiments, the communication module(s) 210 may be
integrated in the one or more processors 208.
[0042] The electronic device 114 may further include one or more
user interfaces 214, which may be configured to enable the user 110
to use the electronic device 114 to perform the actions described
herein. The user interface(s) 214 may include a display screen 216,
via which the user 110 may, for example, view medical
prescriptions, prescription products, and/or issued prescription
passes (e.g., view a QR code to be scanned at a point of
retrieval). The user interface(s) 214 may further include one or
more input/output (I/O) units 218 (e.g., a touchscreen, keypad,
stylus, mouse, etc.), which may enable user participation in a
prescription pass application described herein, for example.
[0043] In some embodiments, the electronic device may further
include one or more speakers 220 and/or one or more microphones
222, which may enable the electronic device 114 to provide audio
output and/or receive audio input, respectively, to enable at least
some aspects of the technology described herein. For example, in
some embodiments, the speaker 220 may provide one or more prompts
(e.g., a prompt to select a medical prescription, or to provide
identifying information such as a phone number) to the user 110,
and the microphone 222 may, for example, receive one or more user
selections of the prompts and/or other application navigation
instructions. Additionally or alternatively, the user 110 may
utilize the speaker 220, the microphone 222, and/or a camera 224 to
conduct an audio/video consultation session with a remotely-located
physician or pharmacist, enabling the user 110 to receive
counseling regarding a prescription or product before, during, or
after product retrieval, for example.
[0044] The one or more processing server(s) 120 may include one or
more memories 242 (e.g., RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, removable memory,
etc.) as well as one or more processors 248. The one or more
memories 242 may store an operating system 244 that may be executed
via the one or more processors 248 to execute the functions of the
processing server(s) 120 described herein, via one or more
applications 250, for example. The one or more memories 246 may
further store prescription data 246 (e.g., data pertaining to
patients, prescription passes, medical prescriptions, products, and
the like. Accordingly, the processing server(s) 120 may be
associated with, for example, a hospital, a pharmacy, or some
combination thereof.
[0045] The processing server(s) 120 may additionally include one or
more communication modules 252 configured to communicate data via
the one or more networks 180. In some embodiments, the
communication module(s) 252 may include one or more transceivers
(e.g., WWAN, WLAN, and/or WPAN transceivers, etc.) functioning in
accordance with IEEE standards, 3GPP standards, or other standards.
Generally, the communication module(s) 252 may be configured to
send and/or data via one or more external ports 254 to facilitate
actions of the server(s) 120 described herein. In some embodiments,
the functions of the communication module(s) 252 may be integrated
in the processor(s) 248.
[0046] In some embodiments, one or more processing servers 120 may
be disposed at a point of retrieval of prescription products, and
accordingly may include some or all of the components of the point
of retrieval system 140. For example, one or more processing
servers may include one or more user interfaces 146, one or more
I/O units 148, one or more scanning units 150, and/or one or more
dispensing units 152 configured to perform actions described herein
with regard to the point of retrieval system 140.
Acquiring a Prescription Pass Application
[0047] FIG. 3 depicts a signal diagram 300 associated with
acquiring a prescription pass application at an electronic device,
in accordance with some embodiments. The signal diagram 300
includes an electronic device 305 (such as the electronic device
114 as discussed with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2) operated by a user.
In some embodiments, the user may be a patient associated with one
or more medical prescriptions. Additionally or alternatively, a
user of the electronic device 305 may include a representative
(e.g., a parent, guardian, or another caregiver) authorized to
request and/or receive prescription products and/or refills on
behalf of a patient. It should be appreciated that actions
attributed to the electronic device 305 in FIG. 3 may include
actions performed on the electronic device 305 by a user of the
electronic device 305 (e.g., a button press, data entry, etc.).
[0048] The signal diagram 300 further includes a server 310 (such
as the processing server 120 as discussed with respect to FIG. 1).
It should be particularly noted that, while one server 310 is
described for ease of description, one or more servers 310 may be
possible.
[0049] Further, it should be appreciated that, while a downloadable
prescription pass application is described herein, other
implementations are possible. For example, in some embodiments, a
user of the electronic device 305 may additionally or alternatively
utilize a web browser on an electronic device to request and
receive prescription products as described in this detailed
description. Additionally, it should be appreciated that
additional, fewer, or alternative components, devices, or actions
may be envisioned, in some embodiments.
[0050] The signal diagram 300 may begin when the server identifies
(322) a patient who is eligible to receive prescription products
via the prescription pass technology described herein. An eligible
patient may be, for example, a patient with one or more past,
current, or future medical prescriptions associated with one or
more prescription products (e.g., a mediation or medical device)
eligible to be received via the technologies.
[0051] After identifying an eligible patient, the server 310 may
transmit or otherwise cause transmission (324), to the electronic
device 305, of a notification to download a prescription pass
application. The prescription pass application may be, for example,
a mobile device application (e.g., smartphone application)
compatible with a mobile electronic device (e.g., a smartphone),
enabling a user of the electronic device 305 to request and receive
prescription products as described herein. The notification to
download the application may include, in some embodiments, a phone
call, an SMS text message, a push notification, an email, and/or
another suitable means. In any case, after receiving the
notification, the user may prompt (326) installation of the
prescription pass application on the electronic device 305. The
prompt may include, for example, a voice command, a screen touch, a
mouse click, and/or another suitable interaction from the user.
[0052] Once the user has download the application to the electronic
device 305, the user may further configure (328) the application,
for example, with credentials pertaining to the patient and/or the
representative of the patient. In some embodiments, for example,
configuring the prescription pass application may include providing
proof of identity, agreeing to a privacy notice, identifying a home
location, and/or configuring current medical prescriptions in the
application. In some embodiments, the electronic device 305 may
transmit the credentials (330) to the server, and the server may
verify the credentials (332).
Issuing a Prescription Pass
[0053] FIG. 4 depicts a signal diagram 400 associated with
generating a unique machine-readable code redeemable to retrieve
one or more prescription products, in accordance with some
embodiments. The one or more prescription products may include
products associated with a new prescription, and/or a prescription
refill.
[0054] The signal diagram 400 includes an electronic device 305
(such as the electronic device 114 as discussed with respect to
FIGS. 1 and 2) that may be operated by a user (e.g., a patient, or
a parent, guardian, or caregiver thereof). It should be appreciated
that actions attributed to the electronic device 305 in FIG. 4 may
include actions performed on the electronic device 305 by a user of
the electronic device 305 (e.g., a button press, data entry, etc.).
The signal diagram 400 also includes a server 310 (such as the
processing server 120 as discussed with respect to FIG. 1). It
should be noted that, while one server is described with regard to
FIG. 4, one or more servers are possible. Further, either or both
of the electronic device 305 and the server 310 may be the same
components as those described with regard to FIG. 3.
[0055] The signal diagram 400 additionally includes a point of
retrieval system 415 (such as the point of retrieval system 140
discussed with respect to FIG. 1), and a central pharmacy
operations (CPO) system 420 (such as the CPO system 160 discussed
with regard to FIG. 1). It should be appreciated that additional,
fewer, or alternative components, devices, and actions may be
envisioned, in some embodiments. Further, one or more of the
actions depicted in FIG. 4 may be omitted, in some embodiments.
[0056] The signal diagram 400 may begin when a prescription pass
application is opened (432) on the electronic device 305. It should
be understood that, while a prescription pass application is
generally described in the signal diagram 400, other
implementations (e.g., a web browser running on the electronic
device 305) may be possible, in some embodiments.
[0057] Once the application is opened, a user of the electronic
device 305 may identify (434) a medical prescription associated
with the patient. Additionally or alternatively, the user may
identify the one or more prescription products associated with the
medical prescription. The user identification of the
prescription/product(s) may include any suitable user interaction
with the electronic device 305 (e.g., a screen tap, button press,
voice command, etc.) from a provided list of medical prescriptions
and/or products associated with the patient, in some embodiments.
After the user identifies a medical prescription and/or product(s),
the electronic device 305 may automatically transmit (436), to the
server 310, an indication of the medical
prescription/product(s).
[0058] After receiving the indication of the medical
prescription/product(s) from the electronic device 305, the server
310 may verify (438) the eligibility of the prescription and/or
product(s) for retrieval using the prescription pass technology.
Verifying eligibility may include, for example, verifying that an
identified prescription product is eligible to be issued and/or
refilled using a prescription pass. If an identified
prescription/product is not eligible, the server 310 may transmit
to the electronic device 305 a notification of the lack of
eligibility and/or a reason therefor. Otherwise, the server 310 may
transmit (440) to the electronic device 305 a notification of the
eligibility of the identified medical prescription and/or the
associated prescription product(s).
[0059] Once eligibility of the medical prescription is confirmed,
the user of the electronic 305 may identify (442) a location for
retrieval of the one or more prescription products. Identifying a
retrieval location may include, for example, identifying a venue
such as a hospital or pharmacy, or more specifically, identifying a
particular point of retrieval such as pharmacy counter, automated
drop box, kiosk. In some embodiments, identifying a retrieval
location may, even more specifically, include identifying a
particular one of multiple service stations at a particular point
of retrieval, as will be discussed further in this detailed
description. The user of the electronic device 305 may identify the
retrieval location, for example, via a suitable user interaction
with the electronic device 305 (e.g., a screen tap, button press,
voice command, etc.) from a provided list of nearby potential
retrieval locations, in some embodiments.
[0060] After the user identifies a retrieval location, the
electronic device 305 may automatically transmit (444), to the
server 310, an indication of the identified retrieval location. In
response to receiving the indication, the server 310 may transmit
(446) a prescription product/refill retrieval request to the point
of retrieval system 415 associated with the identified retrieval
location (e.g., a computing device, such as a pharmacy counter
computer or an automated prescription kiosk or drop box) associated
with the identified point of retrieval. The request may, for
example, identify the associated prescription, the associated
product(s), request may additionally identify the patient, the
representative of the patient (if applicable), one or more
prerequisite tasks (e.g., product/inventory reservation, labeling,
etc.) to be performed by the point of retrieval system 415, and/or
more information regarding the medical prescription.
[0061] It should be noted that actions of the point of retrieval
system 415, as described herein, may include actions performed a
computing device at the point of retrieval system associated with
the identified retrieval location, and/or actions performed by a
person or persons (e.g., a pharmacist) at the identified retrieval
location (e.g., in a brick-and-mortar environment and/or through
interaction with the computing device at the point of retrieval),
where appropriate.
[0062] In any case, upon receiving the request, the point of
retrieval system 415 may process (448) the prescription
product/refill retrieval request. Processing the request may, in
some embodiments, include verifying that the requested one or more
prescription products or product refills may be issued at the
particular point of retrieval. If, during the processing, the point
of retrieval system 415 determines that the requested products or
refills cannot be issued at the particular point of retrieval for
any reason (e.g., size of a product, lack of inventory, etc.), the
point of retrieval system 415 may notify the server 310, which may
in turn notify the user via the electronic device 305. In response,
the user may identify a different retrieval location in a manner
similar to that described above.
[0063] In some embodiments, after processing the request, the point
of retrieval system 415 may reserve products and/or inventory (450)
for the one or more prescription products to be retrieved. In some
implementations, reserving a product may include a reserving a
product item itself (e.g., a claim to a medication or medical
device currently on or pending delivery to a pharmacy shelf).
Reserving inventory may, for example, include reserving a portion
of a limited physical quantity of space for a product to be
retrieved (e.g., a limited storage capacity inside a prescription
kiosk or drop box).
[0064] Further, in some embodiments, the point of retrieval system
415 may automatically generate one or more labels and/or apply the
one or more labels (452) to the one or more prescription products.
The generation and/or application of the one or more labels may be
caused via a request from the server 310, for example. The one or
more labels may include, for example, information identifying the
one or more prescription products and/or the patient for whom the
one or more prescription products will be issued.
[0065] Once request processing and any additional tasks are
completed, the point of retrieval system 415 may transmit (454), to
the server 310, an update of status of the prescription
product/refill request. The status update may include, for example,
an indication of the preparedness of the one or more products for
retrieval, an anticipated time of preparedness for retrieval, a
cost of the one or more prescription products, and/or an indication
of one or more additional tasks (e.g., product/inventory
reservation, labeling, etc.) performed with regard to the
request.
[0066] At any time after a cost of the one or more prescription
products is determined (e.g., upon identification of the one or
more prescription products by the user, or upon processing of the
prescription product/refill request by the point of retrieval
system 415), the server 310 may, in some embodiments, request
and/or receive payment (456) for the one or more prescription
products from the user via the electronic device 305. In some
possible embodiments, the user may configure the electronic device
305 (e.g., configure the application) to automatically and/or
manually provide payment from the account of the user. In any case,
various payment methods may be enabled, including but not limited
to credit card, debit card, Apple Pay.RTM., HSA/FSA payment,
etc.
[0067] In some embodiments, the user may request (458), from the
electronic device 305 to the server 310, a consultation with a
remotely-located pharmacist regarding the patient's prescription
and/or product(s). In response to the request, a communication
session may be established and a consultation (e.g., via text
messaging, video messaging, voice call, etc.) provided (460)
between the user the electronic device 305 and a remotely-located
pharmacist at an appropriate central pharmacy operations (CPO)
system 420. While the consultation in FIG. 4 is depicted as
occurring after request processing and payment, it should be
appreciated that other implementations may be possible. In some
embodiments, a prescription pass application may enable the user to
connect with a pharmacist at the CPO system at any time (e.g., any
point during flow of the signal diagram 400). Some medical
prescriptions and/or prescription products may require such a
consultation at some point prior to issuance of a prescription
pass.
[0068] Once the point of retrieval system 415 has transmitted a
status indicating preparedness or future preparedness of the one or
more prescription products for retrieval, the server 310 may issue
(462) a prescription pass to the user at the electronic device 305.
The prescription pass may include a unique machine-readable code,
such as a barcode, two-dimensional matrix barcode (e.g., QR code),
alphanumeric code, sound file, or some other unique
machine-readable code that a user of the electronic device 305 may
scan at a point of retrieval to identify the medical prescription
and/or the product(s) to retrieve. The server 310 may issue the
prescription pass, for example, to the electronic device 305 for
the user to view via the prescription pass application, and/or
otherwise through SMS text, MMS text, email, and/or another
suitable form of file transfer. Additionally or alternatively, the
electronic device 305 may access the prescription pass (at the time
of scanning, for example) from the server 310 via a network
connection (e.g., through the prescription pass application or a
website). In any case, the prescription pass may be printable, in
some embodiments, allowing the user to redeem the prescription pass
at a retrieval location via a printed document.
[0069] In some embodiments, the prescription pass may be
transferable, allowing the user to transfer the prescription pass
to another person, such as from a patient to a representative
thereof (e.g., via a user interaction at the prescription pass
application). In some embodiments, transferal of a prescription
pass may include reissuance of the prescription pass to the other
person. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, a user
may cancel an issued or otherwise in-progress prescription pass.
Prescription pass cancellation ("reversal") and/or transferal may
be enabled, for example, via communication between the electronic
device 305 and the server 310 via the prescription pass application
described herein, via a web browser, via an email or SMS client,
and/or via other techniques.
[0070] In some embodiments, the user may, while requesting a
prescription pass, configure one or more notifications associated
with the prescription pass. For example, the user may configure a
notification to be transmitted to the user at a time at which the
one or more prescription products are prepared for retrieval by the
user. User configuration of a notification may include
configuration of one or more messages (e.g., a message within the
prescription pass application, a push notification, an SMS message,
an email, a voice call, etc.) to be transmitted form the server 310
to the electronic device 305 and/or to another device associated
with the user. In some embodiments, a configured notification may
include location-based notification. For example, a user may
configure a notification to be transmitted to the user at a time
when the user is within a specified geographic proximity to the
point of retrieval system 415 while the one or more prescription
products are prepared for retrieval. Location-based notifications
may be enabled, for example, via opt-in location sharing between
the electronic device 305 and the server 310. In some embodiments,
the server 310 may automatically configure one or more
notifications during issuance of the prescription pass.
Redeeming a Prescription Pass and Issuing Prescription
Product(s)
[0071] FIG. 5 depicts a signal diagram 500 associated with issuing
one or more prescription products, in accordance with some
embodiments. The one or more prescription products may include
products associated with a new prescription, and/or a prescription
refill.
[0072] The signal diagram 500 includes an electronic device 305
(such as the electronic device 114 as discussed with respect to
FIGS. 1 and 2) that may be operated by a user (e.g., a patient, or
a parent, guardian, or caregiver thereof). It should be appreciated
that actions attributed to the electronic device 305 in FIG. 5 may
include actions performed on the electronic device 305 by a user of
the electronic device 305 (e.g., a button press, data entry, etc.).
The signal diagram 500 also includes a server 310 (such as the
processing server 120 as discussed with respect to FIG. 1). While
one server 310 is described herein for ease of description, it
should be appreciated that one or more servers 310 may be
possible.
[0073] The signal diagram 500 additionally includes a point of
retrieval system 415 (such as the point of retrieval system 140
discussed with respect to FIG. 1), and a central pharmacy
operations (CPO) system 420 (such as the CPO system 160 discussed
with regard to FIG. 1). It should be appreciated that additional,
fewer, or alternative components, devices, and actions may be
envisioned, in some embodiments. Further, one or more of the
actions depicted in FIG. 5 may be omitted, in some embodiments. One
or more of the electronic device 305, the server 310, the point of
retrieval system 415, and the CPO system 520 may be the same
components as those described with regard to FIG. 3 and/or FIG.
4.
[0074] While in vicinity of the point of retrieval system 415, the
user of the electronic device 305 may scan or visually present
(532) the unique prescription pass previously provided to or
accessed by the electronic device 305 via the server 310. Scanning
or visually presenting the prescription pass at the point of
retrieval system 415 may include, for example, the user of the
electronic device 305 causing an interaction (e.g., a display via a
user interface, a swipe, sound play, etc.) between the electronic
device 305 and a scanning unit at the point of retrieval system
415. Additionally or alternatively, the user may scan a printed
code, without use of the electronic device 305. In any case, the
point of retrieval system 415 may detect (534) the scan (e.g., by
detecting the prescription pass' unique machine-readable code via a
scanning unit of a computing device at the point of retrieval).
[0075] In some embodiments, the point of retrieval system 415 may
request and receive (536), from the server 310, an identification
of the patient, prescription, and/or product(s) associated with the
prescription based on the detected prescription pass scan. The
identification may be provided based on a stored record at the
server 310, associating the prescription pass' unique
machine-readable code with the patient, medical prescription,
and/or prescription product(s). In another possible embodiment, the
point of retrieval system 415 may store the above described
information at an internal memory, and retrieve, from the internal
memory, the patient, prescription, and/or product(s) associated
with the scanned prescription pass.
[0076] In some embodiments, additional security measures may be
required at the point of retrieval system 415 before one or more
prescription products can be dispensed. For example, the point of
retrieval system 415 may request and receive (538) additional
identification (e.g., a phone number, PIN, birthdate, etc.) from
the user. The request of the information may be displayed, for
example, via a point of retrieval system 415 display screen, and
the information received via an interaction by the user at a point
of retrieval system 415 I/O unit (e.g., a button press, touch
screen interaction, audio prompt, etc.). The point of retrieval
system 415 may verify (540) the additional identification via
another interaction with the server 310, and/or via stored user,
patient, prescription, or product data at the point of retrieval
system 415.
[0077] In some embodiments (e.g., if the user has not already
provided payment for the one or more prescription products to be
retrieved), the point of retrieval system may request and receive
(542) payment for the one or more prescription products. The point
of retrieval system 415 may request and/or receive payment via one
or more user interfaces (e.g., display screens), and/or one or more
I/O units (e.g., a card scanner, touch screen, keypad, etc.) at the
point of retrieval system 415. Additionally or alternatively, the
user may provide payment via the electronic device 305 in a manner
similar to that described regarding the payment action 456 in FIG.
4. In any case, various payment methods may be enabled, including
but not limited to credit card, debit card, Apple Pay.RTM., HSA/FSA
payment, etc.
[0078] In some embodiments, the user may request (544), from the
electronic device 305 to the server 310, a consultation with a
remotely-located pharmacist regarding the patient's prescription
and/or product(s). In response to the request, a communication
session may be established and a consultation provided (546)
between the user the electronic device 305 and a remotely-located
pharmacist at an appropriate central pharmacy operations (CPO)
system 420. While the consultation in FIG. 5 is depicted as
occurring after prescription pass scanning and payment, it should
be appreciated that other implementations may be possible. In some
embodiments, a prescription pass application may enable the user to
connect with a pharmacist at the CPO system at any time (e.g., any
point during flow of the signal diagram 500). Some medical
prescriptions and/or prescription products may require such a
consultation a product may be dispensed at the point of retrieval
system 415.
[0079] In some embodiments, the point of retrieval system 415 may
automatically generate one or more labels and/or apply the one or
more labels (458) to the one or more prescription products. The
generation and/or application of the one or more labels may be
caused via a request from the server 310, for example. The one or
more labels may include, for example, information identifying the
one or more prescription products and/or the patient for whom the
one or more prescription products will be issued.
[0080] Once the prescription pass has been identified and any
additional necessary actions are completed, the point of retrieval
system 415 may dispense (550) the one or more prescription
products. The point of retrieval system 415 may dispense the
product(s), for example, automatically via one or more dispensing
units (e.g., within a prescription kiosk or drop box).
[0081] Once the point of retrieval system 415 has dispensed the one
or more prescription products to the user, the point of retrieval
system 415 may transmit (552), to the server 310, an indication of
the status of the prescription processing. The transmitted status
may include, for example, an indication that the one or more
prescription products have been dispensed, and/or an indication of
one or more additional actions (e.g., payment) completed at the
point of retrieval system 415. Meanwhile, the user, via the
electronic device 315, may acknowledge receipt (354) of the one or
more prescription products, in some embodiments.
"Drive-Thru" Presription Product Retrieval
[0082] In some instances, a point of retrieval for prescription
products within a venue may comprise multiple service stations. For
example, a pharmacy may achieve a point of retrieval in the form of
a "drive-thru" whereby passengers within vehicles may retrieve
prescription products at the exterior of the venue. In some
implementations, an autonomous vehicle without a passenger(s) may
access a point(s) of retrieval. The drive-thru point of retrieval
may comprise multiple service stations (or "lanes") whereby
multiple persons may concurrently retrieve prescription products.
As another example, a pharmacy counter within a hospital may
comprise a plurality of stations concurrently serving individuals
retrieving prescription products. Even in such configurations,
however, individuals retrieving prescriptions may conventionally
encounter significant wait time before a station becomes
available.
[0083] While the prescription pass technology described herein
offers benefits to individuals retrieving prescription products
from points of retrieval comprising any number of service stations,
specific implementations of the prescription pass technology may
offer particular benefits to the product retrieval experience at
points of retrieval comprising multiple stations, as will be
described in this section. While a "drive-thru" example may
generally be referred to in this section, it should be understood
that the described concepts may be applied to other points of
retrieval comprising two or more stations for retrieving
prescription products.
[0084] FIG. 6 depicts an example signal diagram 600 associated with
drive-thru retrieval of one or more prescription products, in
accordance with some embodiments. Generally, a drive-thru point of
retrieval within a venue (e.g., exterior of a pharmacy), may
comprise multiple stations or "lanes," including one or more
"express stations" configured specifically to serve individuals
retrieving prescription products using the prescription pass
technology. Use of an express station may significantly quicken
prescription product retrieval for prescription pass users, and
further may incentivize additional users to utilize the
prescription pass technology discussed throughout this detailed
description. The express station may thus result in reduced service
times and wait times for individuals retrieving prescription
products.
[0085] The signal diagram 600 includes an electronic device 305
(such as the electronic device 114 as discussed with respect to
FIGS. 1 and 2) that may be operated by a user (e.g., a patient, or
a parent, guardian, or caregiver thereof). It should be appreciated
that actions attributed to the electronic device 305 in FIG. 6 may
include actions performed on the electronic device 305 by a user of
the electronic device 305 (e.g., a button press, data entry, etc.).
The signal diagram 600 also includes a server 310 (such as the
processing server 120 as discussed with respect to FIG. 1). It
should be noted that, while one server is described with regard to
FIG. 6, one or more servers are possible. Further, either or both
of the electronic device 305 and the server 310 may be the same
components as those described with regard to FIG. 3.
[0086] The signal diagram 600 additionally includes a point of
retrieval system 415 (which may be the point of retrieval system
140 discussed with respect to FIG. 1, for example) disposed within
a venue, such as a pharmacy. The point of retrieval system 415 may
be distributed among a "standard` point of retrieval station 615a
and an "express" point of retrieval station 615b. While one
standard station 615a and one express station 615b are described
herein, it should be understood that one or more of each are
possible. The stations may generally be collocated within (i.e.,
inside or generally around) the venue. Each station 615a-615b may
comprise one or more computing devices, drop boxes, kiosks,
dispensing units, etc.
[0087] It should be appreciated that additional, fewer, or
alternative components, devices, and actions may be envisioned, in
some embodiments. In particular, it is noted that the signal
diagram 600 is generally presented to describe concepts particular
to venues with multiple points of retrieval. Other elements
discussed in this detailed description, even if not present in the
signal diagram 600, may be included (e.g., as part of the actions
depicted in FIG. 6), unless specifically indicated otherwise.
Further, one or more of the actions depicted in FIG. 6 may be
omitted, in some embodiments. One or more of the electronic device
305, the server 310, and the point of retrieval system 415, may be
the same components as those described with regard to FIGS. 3, 4,
and/or 5.
[0088] The signal diagram 600 may begin with a request (632) for
retrieval of one or more prescription products (e.g., a new product
or a product refill), the request initiated by the electronic
device 305 (e.g., by the user of the electronic device 305). The
prescription product/refill request may include one or more device
and/or server actions described with regard to prescription product
requests in FIGS. 4 and/or 5 (e.g., identifying a medical
prescription, identifying products, verifying eligibility, etc.).
In particular, the request may include identification of a desired
retrieval location, such as a point of retrieval comprising
multiple service stations.
[0089] Once the prescription product(s) have been requested, the
server 310 may process (634) the prescription product/refill
request. Processing the request may include, for example, receiving
indication of one or more tasks performed by the individual
associated with retrieval of the prescription (e.g., patient,
caregiver, etc.), wherein the tasks may be prerequisite to
retrieving the one or more prescription products. Such tasks may
include, for example, payment for the one or more prescription
products, acceptance of a privacy notice, completion of a
consultation with a remotely-located pharmacist, processing of an
insurance claim, etc. One or more of the tasks may be completed,
for example, by the individual associated with retrieval of the
prescription product(s) via a prescription pass application on the
electronic device 305, which may be in communication with the
server 310.
[0090] Completion of one or more of the above-described tasks prior
to retrieval of the one or more prescription product (or, prior to
issuance of a prescription pass) may determine a "completion
status" of the prescription. The server 310 and/or the point of
retrieval system 415, for example, may determine a completion
status based upon a particular task completed, a particular task
not completed, a total number or weight of tasks completed, etc.
Generally, prescriptions having a completion status indicating more
prerequisite tasks completed (i.e., fewer outstanding tasks) may be
more likely to be enabled to use an express station at the point of
retrieval, as such tasks will not need to be performed at the point
of retrieval itself (which would potentially induce wait times at
the point of retrieval). In some embodiments, the use of the
prescription pass technology may alone be sufficient for
eligibility or to utilize an express station, regardless of
additional tasks that may be necessary at the point of
retrieval.
[0091] After processing the prescription product/refill request,
the server 310 may transmit a prescription product/refill request
the point of retrieval system 415. In some embodiments, the request
transmitted by the server 310 may include an indication of whether
the prescription product/refill request is eligible to be fulfilled
an express station 615b, based upon the completion status.
Alternatively, the request may include an indication of one or more
prerequisite tasks completed, from which the point of retrieval
system 415 may determine whether the request is eligible to be
completed via the express station 615b.
[0092] The request may, for example, identify the associated
prescription, the associated product(s), the patient, the
representative of the patient (if applicable), one or more
prerequisite tasks (e.g., product/inventory reservation, labeling,
etc.) to be performed by the point of retrieval system 415, and/or
more information regarding the medical prescription.
[0093] In response to a received request from the server 310, the
point of retrieval system 415 may process the request for
fulfillment at the standard station 615a or the express station
615b (638a and 638b, respectively). Processing the request may, in
some embodiments, include verifying that the requested one or more
prescription products or product refills may be issued at the
particular station. If, during the processing, the point of
retrieval system 415 determines that the requested products or
refills cannot be issued at the particular point of retrieval for
any reason (e.g., size of a product, lack of inventory, etc.), the
point of retrieval system 415 may notify the server 310, which may
in turn notify the user via the electronic device 305. In response,
the user may identify a different retrieval location. Additionally
or alternatively, processing the request may include other actions
of a point of retrieval system 415 described in this detailed
description, including a product and/or inventory reservation,
generation and/or application of a label, etc. In some embodiments,
the above actions of the point of retrieval system 415 may be
specifically performed via one or more computing devices at
stations 615a and/or 615b.
[0094] Once a point of retrieval system 415 processes the request,
the point of retrieval system 415 may transmit (640a-640b), to the
server 310, an update of status of the prescription product/refill
request. The status update may include, for example, an indication
of the preparedness of the one or more products for retrieval, an
anticipated time of preparedness for retrieval, a cost of the one
or more prescription products, and/or an indication of one or more
prerequisite tasks (e.g., product/inventory reservation, labeling,
etc.) performed or yet to be performed with regard to the
request.
[0095] Once the server 310 has received indication of processing of
the prescription product/refill request at a point of retrieval
415, the server 310 may issue (642) a prescription pass to the
individual associated with the retrieval, via the electronic device
305. The prescription pass may include a unique machine-readable
code, such as a barcode, two-dimensional matrix barcode (e.g., QR
code), alphanumeric code, sound file, or some other unique
machine-readable code that a user of the electronic device 305 may
scan at a point of retrieval to identify the medical prescription
and/or the product(s) to retrieve. The server 310 may issue the
prescription pass, for example, to the electronic device 305 for
the user to view via the prescription pass application, and/or
otherwise through SMS text, MMS text, email, and/or another
suitable form of file transfer. Additionally or alternatively, the
electronic device 305 may access the prescription pass (at the time
of scanning, for example) from the server 310 via a network
connection (e.g., through the prescription pass application or a
website).
[0096] In some embodiments, the prescription pass may specifically
indicate whether or not the prescription product/refill request is
presently eligible for retrieval at an express station 615b, or
whether retrieval must occur at the standard station 615a. In some
embodiments, even if the request is not eligible for express
eligible at the time of issuance of the prescription pass, the
individual may, in some embodiments, cause the request to become
eligible by performing one or more prerequisite tasks in advance of
the retrieval. Completion of such tasks may result in issuance of
an updated prescription pass. Alternatively, in other embodiments,
the prescription pass may not make any particular indication of
express station eligibility or lack thereof, and such indication
may be provided at the point of retrieval itself (e.g., at a
check-in station at the point of retrieval but prior to the
standard or express station).
[0097] At the time of retrieval, the individual associated with the
retrieval may scan or otherwise present (644) the unique
machine-readable code via the electronic device 305. Scanning or
visually presenting the prescription pass at a point of retrieval
system may include, for example, the user of the electronic device
305 causing an interaction (e.g., a display via a user interface, a
swipe, sound play, etc.) between the electronic device 305 and a
scanning unit at the point of retrieval system 415 (e.g., more
specifically, the standard point of retrieval station 615a or the
express point of retrieval station 615b). Additionally or
alternatively, scanning the electronic device may include scanning
a printed document, without use of the electronic device 305. In
some embodiments, presenting the code may include first presenting
the code at a check-in station prior to the standard/express
stations 615a-615b, to identify from which station the retrieval is
to be achieved.
[0098] The standard station 615a or the express station 615b may
detect (646a and 646b respectively) the scan (e.g., by detecting
the prescription pass' unique machine-readable code via a scanning
unit of a computing device at the station, or alternatively, by
receiving an indication from another part of the point of retrieval
system 415). Detecting the scan may include identifying the
patient, the individual associated with the retrieval, the medical
prescription, and/or the one or more prescription products, based
upon the unique machine-readable code. Once the prescription pass
has been identified, the station 615a or 615b may dispense (648a
and 648b, respectively) the one or more prescription products. The
point of retrieval station 615a or 615b may dispense the
product(s), for example, automatically via one or more dispensing
units (e.g., within a prescription kiosk or drop box). Dispensing
the one or more prescription products may first include
facilitation of one or more outstanding tasks (consultation,
payment, identification, etc.) that may be prerequisite to
retrieving the one or more prescription products.
Example Methods
[0099] FIG. 7 depicts an example computer-implemented method 700
for generating a unique machine-readable code redeemable to
retrieve one or more prescription products. Generally, the unique
machine-readable code may be generated and/or issued to an
electronic computing device of an individual as a "prescription
pass." The method 700 may be performed, for example, via the system
100 described with regard to FIGS. 1 and 2.
[0100] The method 700 may include receiving, via one or more
processors, a first indication of identification of a medical
prescription for one or more prescription products (e.g., a
medication or medical device), the first indication originating
from a computing device (e.g., a smartphone, laptop computer,
desktop computer, tablet, etc.) of an individual associated with a
retrieval of the one or more prescription products (702).
[0101] The individual associated with the retrieval may be, for
example, an individual associated with the medical prescription
itself (e.g., a patient to whom the prescription is prescribed).
Alternatively, the individual may be another individual who is a
representative of the patient (e.g., a parent, guardian, caregiver,
etc.). The first indication may be received, for example, via one
or more processors of one or more backend servers, and from an
electronic device of a user (e.g., a patient, parent, guardian, or
caregiver) seeking retrieval of one or more prescription products
(i.e., products or product refills) associated with the identified
medical prescription. The first indication may include, for
example, an interaction by the user from a list of available or
eligible prescriptions listed in a prescription pass mobile or web
application.
[0102] The method 700 may also include receiving, via one or more
processors, a second indication of identification of a point of
retrieval of the one or more prescription products, the second
indication originating from the computing device of the individual
associated with the retrieval of the one or more prescription
products (704). The identified point of retrieval may include, for
example, a particular pharmacy counter, a prescription kiosk or
drop box, and/or another appropriate point of retrieval. In any
case, the point of retrieval may be identified, for example, from a
list of available and/or nearby retrieval locations presented in
the prescription pass application.
[0103] The method 700 may also include verifying, via the one or
more processors, an authorization of the individual associated with
the retrieval of the one or more prescription products to retrieve
the one or more prescription products at the point of retrieval
(706). The verification may include, for instance, verifying that
the medical prescription and/or product(s) are eligible to be
retrieved using the prescription pass technology. Additionally or
alternatively, the verification may include verifying that a
representative of the patient (e.g., a parent, guardian, or
caregiver) is authorized to retrieve the particular one or more
prescription products on behalf of the patient.
[0104] The method 700 may further include generating, via the one
or more processors, a unique machine-readable code associated with
retrieval of the one or more prescription products, wherein the
unique machine-readable code is associated with the medical
prescription (708). The unique machine-readable code may include,
for example, a barcode, two-dimensional matrix barcode (e.g., QR
code), audio file, alphanumeric code, and/or another code. In any
case, in some embodiments, the generated machine-readable code may
be associated specifically with the identified point of retrieval.
In other words, the machine-readable code may, in some embodiments,
be redeemable only at the identified point of retrieval, whereas,
in other embodiments, other points of retrieval may be possible.
The method 600 may further include transmitting the unique
machine-readable code to the computing device associated with the
retrieval of the one or more prescription products.
[0105] In some embodiments, the method 700 may further include
causing, via the one or more processors, one or more product
reservations and/or spatial reservations at the point of retrieval.
A spatial reservation may include, for example, a reservation of a
portion of a limited physical quantity of space for a product to be
retrieved (e.g., a limited storage capacity inside a prescription
kiosk or drop box). A product reservation may include, for example,
reservation of a product item itself (e.g., a claim to a medication
or medical device currently on or pending delivery to a pharmacy
shelf, such that the product will not be out of stock at the time
of retrieval). In any case, a reservation may be caused, for
example, via communication from a backend server to a computer
system and/or individual at the identified point of retrieval.
[0106] In some embodiments, the method 700 may further include
causing, via the one or more processors, one or more labels to be
applied to one or more containers associated with the one or more
prescription products, wherein the one or more labels identify the
one or more prescription products and a patient associated with the
medical prescription.
[0107] In some embodiments, the method 700 may further include
processing a payment for the one or more prescription products.
Processing a payment may, for example, include receiving, via the
one or more processors, an indication of payment for the one or
more prescription products by the individual. An indication of
payment may be received, for example, at a backend server after
payment from the computing device of the individual. In some
embodiments, payment may be required prior to issuance of a unique
machine-readable code.
[0108] In some embodiments, the method 700 may further include (i)
receiving, via the one or more processors, a request to communicate
with a remote pharmacist, the request initiated by the individual,
and/or (ii) causing, via the one or more processors, a
communication session to be initiated between the computing device
of the individual and a computing device of the remote pharmacist.
The communication session may, for example, enable the individual
to communicate information to and/or receive instruction from the
remotely-located pharmacist. In some embodiments, a particular
prescription and/or product may require such a communication
session to occur prior to issuance of a unique machine-readable
code. In these embodiments, the unique machine-readable code may be
generated in response to an authorization granted by the remote
pharmacist after the communication session.
[0109] In some embodiments, the method 700 may further include
configuration of one or more notifications associated with the
prescription pass. Notification configuration may include, for
example, configuration of a notification (e.g., push notification,
voice call, SMS message, email, or another message within a
prescription pass application) to be transmitted to one or more
electronic devices at a time at which the one or more prescription
products are prepared for retrieval by the individual. A
notification may be configured manually by the individual and/or
automatically via the one or more processors, in some
embodiments.
[0110] The method 700 may include additional, fewer, or alternate
actions, including those described in this detailed
description.
[0111] FIG. 8 depicts an example computer-implemented method 800
for issuing one or more prescription products. Generally, one or
more prescription products may be issued in response to a scan of a
unique machine-readable code included in a "prescription pass"
provided to an individual. The method 800 may be performed, for
example, via the system 100 described with regard to FIGS. 1 and
2.
[0112] The method 800 may include generating, via one or more
processors, a unique machine-readable code associated with a
medical prescription for one or more prescription products (802).
The unique machine-readable code may include, for example, a
barcode, two-dimensional matrix barcode (e.g., QR code), audio
file, alphanumeric code, and/or another code. In any case, in some
embodiments, the generated machine-readable code may be associated
specifically with the identified point of retrieval. In other
words, the machine-readable code may, in some embodiments, be
redeemable only at the identified point of retrieval, whereas, in
other embodiments, other points of retrieval may be possible.
[0113] The method 800 may also include transmitting (e.g., via text
message, email, delivery to a prescription pass application, etc.)
the unique machine-readable code to a computing device of an
individual associated with a retrieval of the one or more
prescription products (804). The individual associated with the
retrieval may be, for example, an individual associated with the
medical prescription itself (e.g., a patient to whom the
prescription is prescribed). Alternatively, the individual may be
another individual who is a representative of the patient (e.g., a
parent, guardian, caregiver, etc.). The computing device of the
individual may include, for example, a smartphone, desktop
computer, laptop computer, tablet, etc.
[0114] The method 800 may also include detecting, via a scanning
device at a point of retrieval of the one or more prescription
products, a scan of the unique machine-readable code, the scan
initiated by the individual at the point of retrieval (806). The
scanning device may be, or be included within, a computing system
at the point of retrieval. "Scanning" the unique machine-readable
code may include, for example, swiping the computing device of the
individual associated with the retrieval, presenting the code via a
user interface, and/or some other visual presentation of the unique
machine-readable code.
[0115] The method 800 may also include identifying, via the one or
more processors, the one or more prescription products associated
with the medical prescription, based upon the detected scan of the
unique machine-readable code (808). Identifying the one or more
prescription products may include associating the scanned code with
the medical prescription based on data stored at a backend server
and/or at a computing system at the point of retrieval.
[0116] The method 800 may also include causing, via the one or more
processors, a dispensing of the one or more prescription products
at the point of retrieval (810). Causing the dispensing may include
transmission, from a backend server to a computing system and/or
individual at the point of retrieval, of an indication to dispense
the one or more products. Dispensing may be executed, for example,
via an automatic dispensing unit of a point of retrieval
system.
[0117] In some embodiments, the method 800 may further include (i)
receiving, via the scanning device or via the one or more
processors, at least one additional identifier (e.g., identity
verification in the form of a phone number, PIN, etc.) associated
with the individual, and/or (ii) verifying, via the one or more
processors, based on the at least one additional identifier, an
identity of the individual. In some embodiments, such an additional
layer of identification may be required prior to dispensing of one
or more prescription products, effectively verifying that the
person at the point of retrieval is in fact the individual to whom
the prescription pass was issued.
[0118] In some embodiments, the method 800 may further include
causing, via the one or more processors, one or more labels to be
applied to one or more containers associated with the one or more
prescription products, wherein the one or more labels identify the
one or more prescription products and a patient associated with the
medical prescription. In some embodiments, the method 800 may
further include (i) causing, via the one or more processors, a
transmission one or more images of the one or more labels to a
remote pharmacist, and/or (ii) receiving, via the one or more
processors, an indication of verified accuracy of the one or more
labels (e.g., accuracy of the information included therein), the
indication granted by the remote pharmacist. In some aspects, a
verification of accuracy by a pharmacist may be required before
dispensing of the one or more prescription products.
[0119] In some embodiments, the method 800 may further include
receiving, via the one or more processors, an acknowledgement of
receipt of the one or more prescription products by the individual.
The acknowledgement of receipt may be received, for example, at a
backend server, and transmitted from a computing device of the
individual.
[0120] In some embodiments, the method 800 may further include
processing, via the one or more processors, a payment for the one
or more prescription products. Processing a payment may, for
example, include receiving, via the one or more processors, an
indication of payment for the one or more prescription products by
the individual. An indication of payment may be received, for
example, at a backend server after payment from the computing
device of the individual. In some embodiments, payment may be
required prior to dispensing of the one or more prescription
products.
[0121] In some embodiments, the method 800 may further include
receiving, via the one or more processors, an indication of an
acceptance of a privacy notice (e.g., HIPAA) by the individual. In
some aspects, an indication of acceptance of a privacy notice may
be required prior to issuance of the one or more prescription
products.
[0122] The method 800 may include additional, fewer, or alternate
actions, including those described in this detailed
description.
[0123] FIG. 9 depicts another example computer-implemented method
900 for generating a unique machine readable code redeemable to
retrieve one or more prescription products. Generally, one or more
prescription products may be issued at a particular one or multiple
stations at a retrieval location (e.g., a particular point of
retrieval), based upon usage of the prescription pass technology
described herein and/or completion of additional prerequisite tasks
prior to arriving at the retrieval location. The method 900 may be
performed, for example, via the system 100 described with regard to
FIGS. 1 and 2.
[0124] The method 900 may include receiving, via one or more
processors, an indication of a medical prescription for one or more
prescription products, wherein the indication originates from a
computing device of an individual intending to retrieve the one or
more prescription products, and wherein the indication identifies a
retrieval location (e.g., a venue, or more specifically, a point of
retrieval) for the one or more prescription products (902).
[0125] The individual intending to retrieve the one or more
prescription products may be, for example, an individual associated
with the medical prescription itself (e.g., a patient to whom the
prescription is prescribed). Alternatively, the individual may be
another individual who is a representative of the patient (e.g., a
parent, guardian, caregiver, etc.). The indication may be received,
for example, via one or more processors of one or more backend
servers, and from an electronic device of a user (e.g., a patient,
parent, guardian, or caregiver) seeking retrieval of one or more
prescription products (i.e., products or product refills)
associated with the medical prescription. The indication may
include, for example, an interaction by the user from a list of
available or eligible prescriptions listed in a prescription pass
mobile or web application.
[0126] The retrieval location may include, for example, a
particular pharmacy counter, a prescription kiosk or drop box,
and/or another appropriate retrieval location. In any case, the
retrieval location may be identified, for example, from a list of
available and/or nearby retrieval locations presented in the
prescription pass application. In some embodiments, the identified
retrieval location may include an identification of a desired
station at the retrieval location (e.g., desire to use an express
station).
[0127] The method 900 may also include identifying, via the one or
more processors and based upon a completion status associated with
the medical prescription, a particular retrieval station of a
plurality of retrieval stations associated with the retrieval
location (904). A completion status may be determined, for example,
based upon utilization of the prescription pass technology
described herein (e.g., specifically a prescription pass mobile
application), and/or based upon completion or lack of completion of
one or more tasks (e.g., payment, acceptance of privacy notice,
remote pharmacist consultation, etc.) prerequisite to retrieving
the one or more prescription products. Prescriptions associated
with a greater completion status (e.g., use of a prescription pass
application, completion of more tasks, etc.) may be enabled to
utilize an express station at the retrieval location instead of a
standard station, thereby potentially reducing wait times for the
individual at the retrieval location. In some embodiments, the
completion status and/or the particular station may be determined
in response to receiving the indication of the medical
prescription. In at least some embodiments, however, the completion
status and/or retrieval station may be determined or re-determined
in response to the individual arriving at the retrieval location
(e.g., at a check-in station at a point of retrieval but prior to
the standard and express retrieval stations).
[0128] The method 900 may also include generating, via the one or
more processors, a notification associated with retrieval of the
one or more prescription products, the notification (i) comprising
a unique machine-readable code, and (ii) identifying the particular
retrieval station (906). The unique machine-readable code may
include, for example, a barcode, two-dimensional matrix barcode
(e.g., QR code), audio file, alphanumeric code, and/or another
code.
[0129] The method 900 may also include transmitting (e.g., via text
message, email, delivery to a prescription pass application, etc.),
to the computing device via the one or more processors, the
notification (908).
[0130] In some embodiments, the method 900 may further include (i)
detecting, via a scanning device located at the particular
retrieval station, a scan of the unique machine-readable code; (ii)
identifying, via the one or more processors, the one or more
prescription products associated with the medical prescription,
based upon the detected scan of the unique machine-readable code;
and/or (iii) causing, via the one or more processors, the one or
more prescription products to be dispensed at the particular
retrieval station.
[0131] In some embodiments, the method 900 may further include
causing, via the one or more processors, one or more product
reservations and/or spatial reservations at the retrieval location.
Causing a spatial reservation may include, for example, causing a
physical quantity of space to be reserved in an inventory
associated with the retrieval location (e.g., a limited storage
capacity inside a prescription kiosk or drop box). Causing a
product reservation may include, for example, causing the one or
more prescription products themselves to be reserved in an
inventory associated with the retrieval location. In any case, a
reservation may be caused, for example, via communication from a
backend server to a computer system and/or individual at the
retrieval location.
[0132] In some embodiments, the method 900 may further include
causing, via the one or more processors, one or more labels to be
applied to one or more containers associated with the one or more
prescription products, wherein the one or more labels identify the
one or more prescription products and a patient associated with the
medical prescription.
[0133] In some embodiments, the method 900 may further include
processing a payment for the one or more prescription products.
Processing a payment may, for example, include receiving, via the
one or more processors, an indication of payment for the one or
more prescription products by the individual. An indication of
payment may be received, for example, at a backend server after
payment from the computing device of the individual. In some
embodiments, payment may be required prior to issuance of a unique
machine-readable code.
[0134] In some embodiments, the method 700 may further include (i)
receiving, via the one or more processors, a request to communicate
with a remote pharmacist, the request initiated by the individual,
and/or (ii) causing, via the one or more processors, a
communication session to be initiated between the computing device
of the individual and a computing device of the remote pharmacist.
The communication session may, for example, enable the individual
to communicate information to and/or receive instruction from the
remotely-located pharmacist. In some embodiments, a particular
prescription and/or product may require such a communication
session to occur prior to issuance of a unique machine-readable
code. In these embodiments, the unique machine-readable code may be
generated in response to an authorization granted by the remote
pharmacist after the communication session.
[0135] In some embodiments, the method 900 may further include
detecting, via the one or more processors, execution of one or more
of the prerequisite tasks (e.g., payment, acceptance of privacy
notice, additional identification, etc.) at the retrieval location
(e.g., at the particular station), as described further in this
detailed description.
[0136] The method 900 may include additional, fewer, or alternate
actions, including those described in this detailed
description.
Additional Considerations
[0137] Although the following text sets forth a detailed
description of numerous different embodiments, it should be
understood that the legal scope of the invention may be defined by
the words of the claims set forth at the end of this patent. The
detailed description is to be construed as exemplary only and does
not describe every possible embodiment, as describing every
possible embodiment would be impractical, if not impossible. One
could implement numerous alternate embodiments, using either
current technology or technology developed after the filing date of
this patent, which would still fall within the scope of the
claims.
[0138] Throughout this specification, plural instances may
implement components, operations, or structures described as a
single instance. Although individual operations of one or more
methods are illustrated and described as separate operations, one
or more of the individual operations may be performed concurrently,
and nothing requires that the operations be performed in the order
illustrated. Structures and functionality presented as separate
components in example configurations may be implemented as a
combined structure or component. Similarly, structures and
functionality presented as a single component may be implemented as
separate components. These and other variations, modifications,
additions, and improvements fall within the scope of the subject
matter herein.
[0139] Additionally, certain embodiments are described herein as
including logic or a number of routines, subroutines, applications,
or instructions. These may constitute either software (e.g., code
embodied on a non-transitory, machine-readable medium) or hardware.
In hardware, the routines, etc., are tangible units capable of
performing certain operations and may be configured or arranged in
a certain manner. In example embodiments, one or more computer
systems (e.g., a standalone, client or server computer system) or
one or more hardware modules of a computer system (e.g., a
processor or a group of processors) may be configured by software
(e.g., an application or application portion) as a hardware module
that operates to perform certain operations as described
herein.
[0140] In various embodiments, a hardware module may be implemented
mechanically or electronically. For example, a hardware module may
comprise dedicated circuitry or logic that may be permanently
configured (e.g., as a special-purpose processor, such as a field
programmable gate array (FPGA) or an application-specific
integrated circuit (ASIC)) to perform certain operations. A
hardware module may also comprise programmable logic or circuitry
(e.g., as encompassed within a general-purpose processor or other
programmable processor) that may be temporarily configured by
software to perform certain operations. It will be appreciated that
the decision to implement a hardware module mechanically, in
dedicated and permanently configured circuitry, or in temporarily
configured circuitry (e.g., configured by software) may be driven
by cost and time considerations.
[0141] Accordingly, the term "hardware module" should be understood
to encompass a tangible entity, be that an entity that is
physically constructed, permanently configured (e.g., hardwired),
or temporarily configured (e.g., programmed) to operate in a
certain manner or to perform certain operations described herein.
Considering embodiments in which hardware modules are temporarily
configured (e.g., programmed), each of the hardware modules need
not be configured or instantiated at any one instance in time. For
example, where the hardware modules comprise a general-purpose
processor configured using software, the general-purpose processor
may be configured as respective different hardware modules at
different times. Software may accordingly configure a processor,
for example, to constitute a particular hardware module at one
instance of time and to constitute a different hardware module at a
different instance of time.
[0142] Hardware modules may provide information to, and receive
information from, other hardware modules. Accordingly, the
described hardware modules may be regarded as being communicatively
coupled. Where multiple of such hardware modules exist
contemporaneously, communications may be achieved through signal
transmission (e.g., over appropriate circuits and buses) that
connect the hardware modules. In embodiments in which multiple
hardware modules are configured or instantiated at different times,
communications between such hardware modules may be achieved, for
example, through the storage and retrieval of information in memory
structures to which the multiple hardware modules have access. For
example, one hardware module may perform an operation and store the
output of that operation in a memory device to which it may be
communicatively coupled. A further hardware module may then, at a
later time, access the memory device to retrieve and process the
stored output. Hardware modules may also initiate communications
with input or output devices, and may operate on a resource (e.g.,
a collection of information).
[0143] The various operations of example methods described herein
may be performed, at least partially, by one or more processors
that are temporarily configured (e.g., by software) or permanently
configured to perform the relevant operations. Whether temporarily
or permanently configured, such processors may constitute
processor-implemented modules that operate to perform one or more
operations or functions. The modules referred to herein may, in
some example embodiments, comprise processor-implemented
modules.
[0144] Similarly, the methods or routines described herein may be
at least partially processor-implemented. For example, at least
some of the operations of a method may be performed by one or more
processors or processor-implemented hardware modules. The
performance of certain of the operations may be distributed among
the one or more processors, not only residing within a single
machine, but deployed across a number of machines. In some example
embodiments, the processor or processors may be located in a single
location (e.g., within a home environment, an office environment,
or as a server farm), while in other embodiments the processors may
be distributed across a number of locations.
[0145] The performance of certain of the operations may be
distributed among the one or more processors, not only residing
within a single machine, but deployed across a number of machines.
In some example embodiments, the one or more processors or
processor-implemented modules may be located in a single geographic
location (e.g., within a home environment, an office environment,
or a server farm). In other example embodiments, the one or more
processors or processor-implemented modules may be distributed
across a number of geographic locations.
[0146] Unless specifically stated otherwise, discussions herein
using words such as "processing," "computing," "calculating,"
"determining," "presenting," "displaying," or the like may refer to
actions or processes of a machine (e.g., a computer) that
manipulates or transforms data represented as physical (e.g.,
electronic, magnetic, or optical) quantities within one or more
memories (e.g., volatile memory, non-volatile memory, or a
combination thereof), registers, or other machine components that
receive, store, transmit, or display information.
[0147] As used herein any reference to "one embodiment" or "an
embodiment" means that a particular element, feature, structure, or
characteristic described in connection with the embodiment may be
included in at least one embodiment. The appearances of the phrase
"in one embodiment" in various places in the specification are not
necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.
[0148] As used herein, the terms "comprises," "comprising," "may
include," "including," "has," "having" or any other variation
thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For
example, a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a
list of elements is not necessarily limited to only those elements
but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to
such process, method, article, or apparatus. Further, unless
expressly stated to the contrary, "or" refers to an inclusive or
and not to an exclusive or. For example, a condition A or B is
satisfied by any one of the following: A is true (or present) and B
is false (or not present), A is false (or not present) and B is
true (or present), and both A and B are true (or present).
[0149] In addition, use of the "a" or "an" are employed to describe
elements and components of the embodiments herein. This is done
merely for convenience and to give a general sense of the
description. This description, and the claims that follow, should
be read to include one or at least one and the singular also may
include the plural unless it is obvious that it is meant
otherwise.
[0150] This detailed description is to be construed as examples and
does not describe every possible embodiment, as describing every
possible embodiment would be impractical, if not impossible. One
could implement numerous alternate embodiments, using either
current technology or technology developed after the filing date of
this application.
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